Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Welcome
to my stop on the Review Tour, presented by Goddess
Fish Promotions, for Danny Dirks and the Heir of Pendragon by S.A. Mulraney. Please leave a comment or question for S.A.
to let him know you stopped by. You can
enter his tour wide giveaway, for a $25 Amazon GC, by filling out the
Rafflecopter form below. You can also follow
the rest of his tour by clicking on the banner above. My review is running just a tad late but will
be posted by noon today.

Danny
Dirks wants nothing more than to play baseball in his father's orchard, but
he's finding out that he is no ordinary boy. With the approach of his fifteenth
birthday, Danny's begun hearing voices and seeing visions of his dead mother.
He's also fairly certain that the cute girl next door is really a
shape-shifting dragon.

All
of these things lead Danny to the discovery that he is the heir of the
legendary Arthur Pendragon and the linchpin in a pact established between man
and dragon centuries ago. Now, rogue dragons threaten that pact and the peace
that comes with it. They aim to reopen the portal through which they originally
came to Earth in order to bring back a rebel dragon army. It's up to Danny to
learn to channel the power that is Excalibur and, with his new friends, prevent
the portal from being opened.

Excerpt

“Dad…”

“Danny…”

“What
the hell was that about?”

“Don’t
swear, son. Your grandfather and I…we just have differing points of view about
something. But, it’s not for me to interfere,” he said.

“I
don’t understand…”

“Honestly,
neither do I. It’s times like these that I really miss your mother. She would
have known what to tell me. She always did.”

“But,
what did Grandfather mean when he said all that stuff in your office?”

“How
much did you hear? You know, Danny, it’s not right…”

“Dad!
It’s also not right to talk about someone who isn’t there! You guys were
talking about me, and you were upset! Why? What’s grandfather…”

“Shhhh…Danny…listen
to me. I might not agree with…everything your grandfather has to say, but know
this…I still trust him. And so should you. Don’t let my…fears…sway you. Just
listen to what he has to say. Do what he asks of you. Your mom wanted it that
way. She asked that I not interfere when it was time for all of this to
happen.”

“All
of what? What’s going to happen? What’s going to happen that has you…you…scared?”

“I…it’s
not for me to say, Danny. Your grandfather is the one who needs to explain all
of this. I only know what your mother trusted me with…and to be honest, I’m not
sure I believed half of it until…recently. Listen…just…just try and roll with
it for a bit. Everything will be fine. You’ve got a birthday party to look
forward to this weekend and Grandfather will be here for at least another week.
Try to enjoy this time with him. Don’t worry about what you heard this afternoon.”

Danny
looked hard into his dad’s eyes. His father blinked and looked away.

“Too
late,” Danny said.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

In
second grade, Scott Mulraney wrote a series of comic strips called Peanut (a
peanut with arms and legs) and Stickman (self explanatory) because those were
the two things he could draw with some consistency. He ripped off every story
line from Garfield, but his family thought it was cute. In high school, he
wrote a rip-off of Red Dawn, changed the location to his NJ home town, and
essentially made himself the lead character. It involved finding a super-secret
helicopter with a strategically placed instruction manual. How convenient.

During
high school, he devoured Stephen King novels, but never pursued writing
anything of substance. Then, in an event that would shape the rest of his life,
Scott found himself kicked out of college, jobless, and relatively friendless.
He turned to writing poetry and eventually short stories followed. Writing had
brought him back from the brink and he pursued and eventually earned a degree
in Literature with a focus on creative writing.

He
completed his first novel (not ripped off from anyone) after five years, in
2010. After waffling about what to do with it, he self-published the suspense
thriller under the pen name Andy Rane. A moderate success, for independent
standards, Scott then followed with the first draft of Danny Dirks. Completed
in about six months, he knew he had something special and wasn't quite prepared
to self publish the novel.

Fast
forward to 2014 and the changing markets convinced him that he could provide
everything to his stories that traditional publishers could. Danny Dirks and
the Heir of Pendragon is his first full-length young adult novel and one of
many stories he hopes to tell.

He
currently lives with his wife and son in his home state of New Jersey.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Chloe Masters’ world changes in a heartbeat and all she did was touch a doorknob.

When she was young Chloe’s mother vanished. Wracked by feelings of abandonment and anger she lost herself traveling with her fathers magic act, where illusions were part of her everyday life. Yet everything changes when they are pursued by a mysterious man in black out to kill her father. Touching a doorknob activates abilities she never knew she had and she finds herself thrust into a world of ancient societies and secrets.

When her father disappears it is a race against time to find answers before she loses whats left of her family. Now Chloe must choose who to trust, the man who will do anything for her or the one she can’t stop thinking about.

Book one of the Doorknob Society Saga.

About the Author

MJ Fletcher is the creator of the comic book series Adam Zero: The Last Man of Earth published by Ronin Studios. He’s also been published in Hope: The Hero Initiative and Digital Webbing Presents. The Doorknob Society was his first book series and still among his favorites. His other works include The Grimm Chronicles series and numerous novellas and short stories. He lives near the beach with his wife, daughter, and an insane dog.

Like her four sisters, Lady Audrina Bradleigh is expected to marry a duke, lead fashion, and behave with propriety. Consequently, Audrina pursues mischief with gusto, attending scandalous parties and indulging in illicit affairs. But when an erstwhile lover threatens to ruin her reputation, Audrina has no choice but to find a respectable husband at once.

Who would guess that her search would lead her to Giles Rutherford, a blunt-spoken American on a treasure hunt of his own? When a Christmas snowstorm strands the pair at a country inn, more secrets are traded than gifts—along with kisses that require no mistletoe—and Audrina discovers even proper gentlemen have their wicked side…

Historical
romance author Theresa Romain pursued an impractical education that allowed her
to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities
and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing,
too. She lives with her family in the Midwest. Please visit her at http://theresaromain.com.

A wife may be courted, too…Many would count Katherine Douglas fortunate indeed. Laird William Douglas is broad-shouldered, gentle-handed, everything a lass could dream. But after four years of marriage, Katherine still knows little of what goes on in his heart. And she has yet to bear him an heir. The distance between them is too great—and so she flees over the snowy highlands to Glengarry Castle, home of her childhood, to set her husband free.

But William won’t let his wife slip away without a fight. Before long, he’s at her father’s threshold himself, witness to the rumbles of discontent in Glengarry, the bright joy of Yuletide at a family hearth, and the hidden needs of his own beloved…

Mia
Marlowelearned
much of what she knows about storytelling from singing. A classically trained
soprano, she devised back stories to prepare for operatic roles. Since she’s
worn a real corset, and had to sing high C’s in one, she empathizes with the
trials of her fictional heroines. But in Mia’s stories, they don’t die in a
Parisian garret. They get to live and keep the hero! Mia loves history, art,
music and travel. Especially travel. Good thing, since she’s lived in 9
different states and is embarrassed to admit she’s lost track of how many times
she’s been to Europe. She regards her frequent moves as vacations on which she
drags along all her stuff. Currently, she and her DH make their home in New
England.

The bachelors in Ella Quinn’s Marriage Game series make a habit of resisting the irresistible. But during the season for giving, surrendering to temptation may be the greatest gift of all…A French spy, Georges, Marquis Cruzy-le-Châtel, has lived in England for years, sacrificing his life for his country—but not his heart. For he’s never been able to forget his childhood friend, Madeleine. And now, in her hour of need, he is there to rescue her…

The victim of a ruthless statesman, Madeleine, Comtesse du Beaune, has been abducted and sent to England to work in a brothel. Her greatest wish is to return home for Christmas, and her only hope of it is to marry Georges—though she will be his wife in name alone. Yet as they steal across the snowy countryside, Georges decides to woo her—with kisses that melt the winter’s frost and leave her longing for a holiday miracle…

Ella
Quinn lived all
over the United States, the Pacific, Canada, England and Europe before finally
discovering the Caribbean. She lives in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands with her
wonderful husband, three bossy cats and loveable great date. Fans can find out
more at www.ellaquinnauthor.wordpress.com

As the new castellan, Sir Nicholas Beringar has the daunting task of rebuilding Ravenmoor Castle on the Scottish border and gaining the trust of the locals—one of whom wastes no time in trying to rob him. Instead of punishing the boy, Nicholas decides to make him his squire. Little does he know the thieving young lad is really…a lady.

Lady Elizabet Armstrong had donned a disguise in an attempt to free her brother from Ravenmoor’s dungeons. Although intimidated by the confident Englishman with his well-honed muscles and beguiling eyes, she cannot refuse his offer.

Nicholas senses that his new squire is not what he seems. His gentle attempts to break through the boy’s defenses leave Elizabet powerless to stem the desire that engulfs her. And when the truth is exposed, she’ll have to trust in Nicholas’s honor to help her people—and to surrender to his touch…

Diana
Cosby, a retired
Navy Chief Petty Officer, owes her passion for writing to a gypsy childhood of
living, traveling and experiencing various cultures throughout the world. An
avid romance reader her entire life, it was an easy decision to begin writing
after her career as a meteorologist. Diana is married to Bob, the hero of her
life, a naval officer with over 22 years of service, including a tour in Iraq.
She is blessed with three loving children: Eric, Stephanie and Christopher, and
enjoys the company of her dog, Duncan Trevor MacGregor, and two cats, Bad and
Brat. She’s a member of various romance writing organizations and presents
writing workshops for her local writing chapters.

Thorncliff Towers is done up for Christmas, secure against wind and wolves. But Karina Petri is shut out, too, and the gypsy witch wants what’s inside. She envies the gifts, the feast, the pretty clothes, of course. But her true desire is for the love of Constantin Stoica. Her smolderingly handsome childhood friend agreed to serve Lord Draven after his brother was caught stealing last year. He suspects Karina was involved—and it would take more magic than she possesses to make him forgive…

Constantin has always been drawn to Karina’s dark curls, flashing eyes, and reckless ways. But trusting her has proven dangerous before, and this night holds more to fear than most. The wrong decisions could cost him his job, his safety—even his life. But letting Karina go could cost him his heart…

Although Marina Myles lives under the sunny
skies of Arizona, she would reside in a historic manor house in foggy England
if she had her way. Her love of books began as soon as she read her first fairy
tale and eventually led to a degree in English Literature. Now, with her loyal
Maltese close by, she relishes the hours she gets to escape into worlds filled
with fiery—but not easily attained—love affairs. She’s busy being a wife, a mother,
and a member of Romance Writers of America, but she is never too busy to hear
from her amazing readers. Visit her at www.marinamyles.com.

Lady Victoria Allen-Hill never dreamed she’d be a widow at twenty-one—let alone a virgin. Her father insists that she attend a matchmaking house party in the snow-covered seaside town of Pevensey in hopes she’ll find a suitable husband. But for Victoria, it’s an opportunity to indulge in a passionate affair—and the handsome inventor she meets at the Christmas Eve masquerade ball may be just the man for the job…

Lewis Noble is the cousin of London’s famed Redcake sisters, so it almost stands to reason that he’s just as irresistible as one of their sugar-iced pastries. Lewis catches the eye of every woman at the party—but Victoria is the only one who catches his. He won’t be tied down in her father’s business, but watching other men court her amid a flurry of engagements ignites a jealousy he’s never felt before. A dose of honesty may be just the thing to mend their broken hearts—for many holidays to come…

Heather Hiestand was born in
Illinois but her family migrated west before she started school. Since then she
has claimed Washington State as home, except for a few years in California. She
wrote her first story at age seven and went on to major in creative writing at
the University of Washington. Her first published fiction was a mystery short
story, but since then it has been all about the many flavors of romance.
Heather’s first published romance short story was set in the Victorian period
and she continues to return, fascinated by the rapid changes of the nineteenth
century. The author of many novels, novellas and short stories, she makes her
home in a small town with her husband and son and supposedly works out of her
tiny office, though she mostly writes in her easy chair in the living room.

Ranked as #1
BestSeller on Amazon India This Christmas is special; really special for Santa.
Read this lovely Christmas tale that would re-define the meaning of Christmas.
A must read for everyone. Just like Pooja's other books, this book brings love,
warmth, and a special message. A story that parents would love to read to their
children.

Praise for the Book

"Such a lovely story that brings back the meaning of Christmas, one that many will want to read."

"Parents/teachers will enjoy reading this story to their children. The children will be full of questions and want to discuss Santa's surprise."

"Artwork "pops" off the pages pleasantly and storyline has a great message. A fine addition to any Christmas collection and it is a children's book that I would recommend!"

Author Pooja Sardana

Pooja Sardana, is a mother, a teacher, an illustrator, an author, a visionary and the co-founder of PictureBookTree. Her books and her initiative - PictureBookTree have been widely covered in Indian media and abroad. Titled as one of the Unsung Hero in 'Saga of the Unsung Heroes of India" , she continues to touch lives of many through her books and her work. Her picture books for children can be availed free of cost by NGOs or individuals working with Under-privileged children. If you work with under-privileged children, you can drop an email at Picturebooktree (AT) GMAIL (DOT) COM to receive your free copy.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour, presented by Tasty Book
Tours, for Romancing the Holidays At Kensington.
Please leave a comment or question for any of the authors to let them know you
stopped by. You can enter the tour wide giveaway, where you can win a
Print/iBook Bundle of ALL Six Holiday Romances, by filling out the Rafflecopter
form below. You can also follow the rest of the tour here, the more stops you visit,
the better your odds of winning.

~*~

ALL HE WANTS FOR CHRISTMASLisa Plumley

Kismet, Michigan # 4

Released Oct 7th, 2014

Zebra/Kensington

In Kismet, Michigan, Christmas is special: big fluffy snowflakes, sleigh bells, carolers singing. It’s a picture-perfect holiday—you just have to choose who’s in the frame…

Jason Hamilton is on thin ice with the board of his toy company. The young CEO may be a kid at heart, but his party boy reputation requires damage control. So Jason’s off to Kismet to inspect a model store, stay on Santa’s Nice list, and stick to business—no goofing around. Which is too bad, because the store manager, Danielle Sharpe, is the definition of what makes Naughty fun…

Danielle is thrilled to show off her thriving little toy store—especially if it’s her ticket out of Kismet. The single mom is tired of manufacturing cheer solo while her ex-husband has all the fun. But if she’d known Jason was this hot, she wouldn’t have offered to host him. With Jason in her house, Danielle is getting warmer than spiked cider. She’s supposed to impress him with her expertise, not daydream about catching him under the mistletoe. Now whatever she does, she can’t get swept up in the magic…

When she
sat down to write her first book, LISA
PLUMLEY expected the process to be easy. Three tries and several years
later, she realized it’s not easy—but it is the most fun to be had outside of
shoe shopping. Now the bestselling author of more than a dozen books, Lisa
lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and two children. She invites readers
to visit her website, www.lisaplumley.com, for previews of upcoming books and
more.

Lindsay Miller is knee-deep in
Christmas cards and homemade fudge, but she’s never felt more like a Grinch.
Why can’t Christmas be full of magic, like in her favorite movie, A Christmas Carol…?

…Enter
Fred, a sexy and eccentric stranger who arrives at Lindsay’s door out of the
blue. Dressed like he just stepped out of a Dickens novel, complete with
British accent, Fred claims he’s a Messenger, sent from “Headquarters” to help
her discover the joy of Christmas. But is Fred an angel from above—or just
stone cold crazy?

Fred’s used
to dealing with skeptics. Telling a stranger you’ve been ordered to inspire
holiday cheer is a tough sell. But there’s a further complication. Fred’s
mission is to help Lindsay right the wrongs from her past that have been
holding her back. But somehow along the way, they’ve become wildly attracted to
each other—and falling in love is not
part of the plan. Fred only has ‘til the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve to
guide Lindsay to the magical future she deserves—even if it’s a future without
him…

Ski
instructor Annie Bennett doesn’t have time to miss the twinkling lights and
holiday parties in Aspen and Vail. With her older brothers gone and winter just
around the corner, her parents need help with their sprawling Colorado ranch.
The most wonderful time of the year isn’t always easy for a lot of the folks in
their town, but Annie does her best—until the tall, dark, and rugged surveyor
on their neighbor’s land becomes a potent distraction…

Wyoming
born and bred, Marshall Stone is a practical man. But there’s something about
Annie that’s as wild and sweet as the mountain wind. He doesn’t want to tame
her. Just love her. Annie Bennett is all he wants for Christmas. And for
always. But she’s too wary to believe he means it. Until he takes her in his
arms and explains without saying a single word…

Janet
Dailey’s first book
was published in 1976. Since then she has written more than 100 novels and
become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with 300 million
copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. She
is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to
recreate a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important,
controversial issues in her stories.

Now that they’ve happily married off
two of their grandchildren, Anna and Felty Helmuth are ready for their next
matchmaking challenge. What better way to celebrate the most heartwarming of
seasons—and make Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, the place for unexpected love…

A difficult
marriage has left the Helmuths’ widowed great-granddaughter, Beth, finished
with wedlock. She’s content to live with them and make a life for herself and
her toddler son. But once she turns down handsome Tyler Yoder’s proposal, it
seems only fair to encourage him to find a suitable wife. Trouble is, his
gentleness and generous ways are showing her how joyous a real meeting of
hearts can be. . .

After a
failed courtship, Tyler thought the best he could hope for in a wife was mere
companionship. But spirited Beth is the one he longs to protect, and hold
close. Earning her trust is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. And soon,
both will discover that forgiveness and understanding are gifts that only
rekindled faith—along with the happiest of holidays—can bring.

Fans of sweet holiday romance need look no further than Jennifer Beckstrand’sHuckleberry
Christmas. A tale full of
lively dialogue, colorful characters and the message of forgiveness, Ms. Beckstrand’s story is a good
addition to her Huckleberry Hill series. While a part of a series, this book can be enjoyed
completely on its own.

Having successfully married off two of their grandchildren,
Anna and Felty Helmuth decide to give their matchmaking skills another run by
pairing up their widowed granddaughter and a local dairy farmer. While Anny and Felty are both in their eighties,
they are very spry and generous with their emotions. Wanting others to be as happy as they are,
and seeing a need their granddaughter is trying to ignore, Anna and Felty take
Beth and her young son Toby, into their home and proceed to help God mend Beth’s
broken soul and suspicious heart.

Ms.
Beckstrand does a wonderful job developing the romantic leads in this
story; when we first meet Beth Hostetler, she and her young son Toby, are just returning
to town. Beth is happy to be a widow and
determined that she will never marry again.
Her marriage had not been happy; her husband had been mean and critical
and his family was just as bad if not worse.
Returning to Huckleberry Hill, Beth plans to live with her grandparents
long enough to establish herself as a seamstress, rent her own little house and
raise her son on her own. While at first
Beth is as bristly as a porcupine, I easily connected with her and could
understand her distrust of romance and men after her experiences.

When we first meet Tyler Yoder, the local dairy farmer Anna
has picked as Beth’s intended, he is not looking for a wife. In fact he’s only visiting the Helmuth home
to work on a project with Aden, Anna and Felty’s grandson, who mysteriously
never shows up. A quiet and somewhat
serious young man, Tyler is the perfect gentleman and is a member in good
standing in the local church and community.
While he too hasn’t had an easy time with romance, Aden stole his fiancée
and married her, he finds himself attracted to Beth and to Toby, her young
son. Tyler soon realizes that Beth is
the woman he wants as a wife.

The romance between Beth and Tyler begins as friendship, Beth
refuses to consider anything else and is determined to help Tyler meet the perfect
match. While Tyler reluctantly agrees to
let Beth try to “match” him up, he really hopes that she will see they are the
perfect match. Especially since they
make each other smile. Ms. Beckstrand
does a good job developing the secondary characters and I really enjoyed
getting to meet some of the young Amish people in the community and getting to
know Anna and Felty Helmuth better. They
really make me laugh. We also got to
meet Beth’s in-laws and it was easy to see why she ran away from them the
minute she got a chance.

Will Beth learn to forgive herself and her deceased husband
for their less than happy marriage so she can move on? Will Tyler give Beth a second chance and be
the knight in shining armor she’s looking for?
You’ll have to read

Huckleberry Christmas to find out.I loved it and can’t wait to read the next
book in this series.

My
Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns

Jennifer Beckstrand is the bestselling
author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series and the Forever
After in Apple Lake series, set in two Amish communities in beautiful
Wisconsin. She has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring
family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and
Felty Helmuth. Jennifer has a degree in mathematics and a background in
editing. She and her husband have been married for thirty years, and she has
four daughters, two sons, and two adorable grandsons, whom she spoils rotten.Readers can visit her website at www.jenniferbeckstrand.com

Having long
since lost his Christmas spirit, Rudi comes to Santa’s Secret Village looking
to sell the resort. His seven-year-old daughter already knows the truth about
Santa, and neither of them is particularly in the mood for the festive season.

Practically
a recluse since the death of her husband, Eva’s not looking for romance. Her
trip to Santa’s Village is for the sole purpose of making Christmas more
festive this year for her young son. But Eva brings an unexpected sparkle to
Rudi and Isabel’s lives that renews their belief in the spirit of Christmas.

As the
weather grows colder, things heat up between Rudi and Eva. But will the magic
still be there when they wake on Christmas morning?

Serenity Woods lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, sweet and sexy contemporary romances. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies.

The tourist town of South Cove,
California, is a lovely place to spend the holidays. But this year, shop owner
Jill Gardner discovers there’s no place like home for homicide…

As owner of
Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner looks forward to the hustle and bustle of
holiday shoppers. But when the mayor ropes her into being liaison for a new
work program, ‘tis the season to be wary. Local businesses are afraid the
interns will be delinquents, punks, or worse. For Jill, nothing’s worse than
Ted Hendricks—the jerk who runs the program. After a few run-ins, Jill’s ready
to kill the guy. That, however, turns out to be unnecessary when she finds Ted
in his car—dead as a doornail. Detective Greg King assumes it’s a suicide. Jill
thinks it’s murder. And if the holidays weren’t stressful enough, a spoiled
blonde wants to sue the city for breaking her heel. Jill has to act fast to
solve this mess—before the other shoe drops…

Lynn
Cahoon is a
multi-published author. An Idaho native, her stories focus around the depth and
experience of small town life and love. Currently she lives in a small historic
town on the banks of the Mississippi where her imagination tends to wander. She
lives with her husband and two fur babies.

* FTC Disclaimer: I received a copy of Huckleberry Christmas as a part of a book tour from the publisher courtesy of NetGalley for a fair and honest review. I received no additional payment for my opinion of the reading material provided.

About Me

Welcome to the Queen of All She Reads Blog. I review all genre of books. Whatever catches my fancy. I either purchase the books or receive the books through a book tour, NetGalley, or the publisher. I do not get paid to review any book.
If you wish to submit your book for review, please see my review policy.
Thank you

Check Out My Stops

Stop Book Piracy In All Forms

Both EBook and Print

Check Out My Stops

Copyright

Reviews, posts and special features are the property of Queen of All She Reads unless otherwise noted. Please don't use them or claim them as your own. The graphics on my site are also the property of Queen of All She Reads, unless provided by a publisher or promotional company for use during a feature.Graphics appearing on the site have been paid for and/or are used with expressed permission from the owner. I do not hold any copyright to any images unless otherwise noted. Please contact me directly if you have any questions about any of the pictures/graphics used on this site.